News Release

04/13/2007
Library to Continue as Largest, Oldest Private Donor to City of Providence

With only 11 weeks left in the current fiscal year, and the City weighing its options for providing neighborhood branch library services, the Providence Public Library (PPL) Transition Team reviewed budget models for the continuation of free library services to City residents through the Central Library.

The model for projections of costs indicate the Library can continue with its nationally recognized model urban library at the main central facility with funding provided largely from private donations, grants, and the yearly earnings from the library’s investments. Over the past six years, PPL has donated more than $20 million in library services to the City. City Library patrons will also continue to benefit from the statewide reference resource services provided at the Central Library.

“Regardless of what the City decides, PPL can continue to donate to the City of Providence and State users, free library services in the form of the research and resource facility at Central as well as community and literacy programs. PPL has a long tradition as the City’s oldest and most generous volunteer organization, in recent history contributing more than $3 million annually in community library services. We are committed to continuing this donation to the people of Providence. PPL is the City of Providence’s largest donor,” asserted Vice Chair William Simmons.

The operating model for a stand alone strong Central Library comes as the Transition Team continues to map out a contingency plan for ongoing free library services in Providence in the event the City decides not to contract with PPL to run its neighborhood branch libraries, or decides not to continue funding a municipal library system.

The Library has offered to contract with the City to run the branch library system – but has also noted that by creating a City Library Department, the City could save $1.2 million dollars in taxpayer funds.

Currently the Municipal Library System is operating under a one year extension during which the Library agreed to give the City $770,000 dollars to fill the gap between what the City has allocated and the cost of level services at all neighborhood branches. That extension expires on June 30, 2007, and the City is working to decide how it will proceed.

If the City opts to create a Library Department which will assume management and operation of the Municipal Library System, the Transition Team will work with the City to make sure there is a smooth transition for patrons and employees. Chair of the Transition Team, Rob Taylor, instructed staff to begin working on the elements involved in transferring, leasing or selling the various buildings that currently house branch libraries. Taylor also asked staff to begin putting together a model for transfer of employees to the City, and donations of books and other community resources.

The Transition Team will be requesting that the City designate a liaison to ensure that the issues raised by the Team are communicated directly to the City officials as they move ahead with decisions for the next fiscal year.

In the event the City decides not to fund its Municipal Library System, the Library would face sobering cutbacks, including up to 60 projected lay-offs.

The Transition Team has stressed that under any of the scenarios, the PPL would continue as it has for 130 years to provide free library services for Providence and State residents through its main central library, as specified in its charter and mission. The private non-profit PPL funds and operates the nationally acclaimed Central Library (much like New York’s Metropolitan Library) which serves as a statewide resource, a research facility, houses historic collections, and provides literacy services and programs for adults and children in the community.

The Transition Team’s next meeting will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday April 19, 2007 and is open to the public.